Open Call to Sign a Petition to Recall Scholars or GSTS Representatives in TIRA

Dear All,

We, the undersigned former and current members of the Global Society of Tigray Scholars (GSTS) and 
Professionals in NA (GSTSP NA) and other scholars and professionals seek to address the issue of legitimate 
representation within the Tigray Interim Regional Administration (TIRA). As described in the founding 
document of TIRA, all participants in TIRA should be legally represented by political parties, the Tigray 
Security Forces, or civic organizations. The representatives serving as cabinet members are expected to be 
accountable to their constituents. While the representatives from the other parties to TIRA are clear, that is not 
the case with the representatives of scholars or GSTS/GSTSP NA.

It is to be recalled that the Global Society of Tigray Scholars and Professionals in NA (GSTS PNA with EIN 4728802) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in California. Based on publicly available records, there are two people (namely, Yohannes Woldegebriel and Abiy Ambaye) listed as the key officers in the CA State Secretary documents. One of the three has since resigned from the organization. It is not clear who the rest of the board members are since the organization’s website doesn’t list them. Our efforts to obtain the names of the board were not successful. They have also failed to meet with the organizers of this petition to address our concerns.  

One of the key concerns is the allegation that GSTS has been engaged in political activities related to Tigray, including appointing a Vice President and at least 3 Heads of Bureaus and one Cluster leader representing Tigray scholars. Such actions may constitute a direct violation of IRS regulations governing 501(c)(3) organizations, which must remain nonpartisan. Such involvement has contributed negatively to the performance of the TIRA. Instead of playing constructive and nonpartisan roles, some of the scholars’ representatives in TIRA have consistently displayed poor conduct detrimental to Tigray's peace and stability and have been accused of failing to contribute to the key goals of TIRA.

The other concerns are the lack of legal representation and the lack of accountability. Scholars are not consistently represented with such a provision, and unlike other TIRA officials who report directly to their constituents, the scholars’ representatives in TIRA do not have a structured oversight or responsibility to a constituency.

Thus, we demand the following:  
-  Immediate removal of all individuals who do not have legal representation from any authorized 
signatory party to the TIRA. We urge TIRA and all relevant stakeholders to take immediate action to 
ensure that only individuals with clear and legitimate representation serve TIRA. 
- Initiation of a formal process to establish a transparent and legitimate scholars' representation within 
TIRA as outlined in the TIRA founding document and Pretoria Agreement.   

We appreciate your prompt attention to this urgent matter and look forward to your response.

If you have any questions, we can be reached at SPBBT11@gmail.com

ሕርያ ህዝብና ትማሊ፣ ሎሚ፣ ፅባሕ ሰላም እያ!

Sincerely,

Former Members and Supporters of GSTS and Other Scholars and Professionals